Appoint Substantive Accountant General Now – Group Tells FG

• Slams corruption accusations on Head of Civil Service of the Federation

BY EDMOND ODOK – The National Intervention Group of Nigeria (NIGN) says the undue delay in appointing a substantive Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) will further dent the integrity of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government’s anti-corruption drive.

Pointedly, the NIGN has accused the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) of subverting due process and compromising the procedure of appointing a new AGF due to selfish and pecuniary interests.

The group, which is an assemblage of altruistic Nigerians who are keen on the promotion and consolidation of democracy, has therefore urged the President “to disregard the Head of Service of the Federation’s latest request and appoint a substantive Accountant General of the Federation from the pool of the qualified candidate already screened”.

In an open letter to President Buhari titled: “Call for Conclusion of Appointment of Substantive Accountant-General of the Federation” the group noted that despite the presidential directive on the appointment of a substantive Accountant General of the Federation, the process had been deliberately slowed down.

Dated October 7, 2022, and signed by its National Coordinator, Akinloye Oyeniyi, the letter said; “In accordance with Your Excellency’s directive conveyed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on 16th June 2022, the process of appointing a substantive Accountant-General of the Federation commenced.

“Sir, it is on a note that in line with that directive, a service-wide circular was issued inviting eligible directors (accountants) on Grade Level 17 in the pool of Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to apply; and one of the criteria for the aspiring applicants is that such must have held the position of director for not less than two years and have not less than two years left in service.

“The criteria were adequately followed and at the close of submission of applications and security clearance by relevant security agencies, we learnt that eight directors qualified for appointment as the substantive Accountant-General of the Federation”.

Further questioning why the process has not proceeded to the next stage of appointing a substantive AGF after the selection was completed, the group said; “Ordinarily, having concluded the process of selection, the next stage should be the appointment of the substantive Accountant-General of the Federation from the qualified directors, but we learnt the Head of Service of the Federation, in gross disregard for Your Excellency’s earlier directive and subsisting criteria for selection, has proposed that the process be extended to the first quarter of 2023 to accommodate some unqualified people who became directors in 2021 and also allow the director currently overseeing the exalted office, Mr Okolieaboh Sylva, who is due for retirement, to be appointed in acting position for that office”.

According to the NIGN, going by the Head of Service’s proposal, the almost completed process would be stalled until the first quarter of 2023, describing such an arrangement as promoting corruption aimed at denting the president’s integrity and frustrating the anti-corruption war by the government.